Adam Arlington writes...

I've been wondering for some time: how do yo feel about the new direction that DC Animated Movies have taken (that is, releasing two movies a year that are a part of a shared continuity and releasing one that isn't)? I know that your style of storytelling seems to be telling incredibly intricately done and well-researched, linear stories. And I also know that, given your status as a hungry writer and sometimes employee of DC Animation, even if you didn't care for the new movies, you'd probably be obligated to find at least something positive to say about them. But I'm speaking from more of a storytelling perspective (i.e. execution of ideas) versus whether or not you like the movies, in and of themselves.

In general, I tend to think that they've released some good offerings, with some (Justice League: War, Batman vs. Robin, Batman: Bad Blood), of course, being better than others (Justice League: Throne of Atlantis, Son of Batman). I also, however, think that the crew behind those movies often fall prey to two problems.

The first problem is the short runtime. I feel like many of those movies start out with or build up to excellent premises or ideas, but because they're only 72 minutes long, an amazing plot will be shoehorned to conclusion in ten to fifteen minutes and the resolution will feel rushed or forced. Characters, both on the side of good and evil, will make major, nonsensical, life altering or, indeed, life ending decisions with next to zero provocation, next to zero buildup, next to zero forethought, and, thus, next to zero payoff in terms of emotional reactions from the audience.

The second problem is that, in my estimation, the producers and writers don't seem to be crafting a linear narrative or working from a single, coherent production bible. The goal seems to be more about putting out two movies while only having a broad idea of what they should include, with no real fine-tuning. I think that that's a problem when addressing what's supposed to be a single continuity of films and it leads to unnecessary and (eventually) gaping plot holes, etc. I digress. I understand that Warner Brothers, Cartoon Network, etc. supposedly doesn't like linear stories, right now. (Even Paul Dini once said something to that effect, arguing that executives feel that linear stories draw in too many girl viewers, versus boys who will purchase toys.) So, perhaps, that's why even with in-continuity movies, there isn't a heavy amount of connective tissue.